Gear drive



GEAR DRIVE Filed NOV. 29A 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet. l

y Patented Mayi'zo, 1924.

, WILBUR N. semanas,

PATENT OFFICE.

Jon JofrLIN, MISSOURI.

am 'DRIV-n.

.Application `led Novlelmbel" 29, 1922. Serial No. 603,972.

To all whom #may concern:

Be it known that I, WILBUR N. Somers, a

, citizen of the United States, residing at J oplin, in the county of Jasper and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gear Drives, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in deep-well pumps and operating mechanisms therefor, and has for an importantobject the rovision of a novel and improved reduction gearing for connecting power and pump pistons arranged at the base of a deep well whereby the length of stroke of the pump piston is decreased and the power thereof increased, and which is capable of insertion within the ordinary well casing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a compact and durable gear drive `for connecting the pump and power pistons.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a reduction gearing connecting pump and power pistons of the character described and which are located within the casing of the well forming an improvement over that structure disclosed and set forth in my co-pending application for improvement in deep well pumps, tiled November 13, 1922, Serial No. 600,598.

A still further object of the invention is to provide reduction gearing of this character in which the various parts are made in duplicate in so far as ossible, thereby to permit construction of t e gearing at a very low cost as compared with gearing of the ordinary type.

These and other objects I attain by the construction and arrangement shown'in the 40 accompanying drawings, wherein forv the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and whereinl like reference characters designate like parts throughout. In the drawings Figure l is a vertical sectional view partially in elevation of a deep lwell pump constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view through the reduction gearing taken at right v angles to the view shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the castings employed;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken through the castings;

\ Figure 6 is'a plan view of the lower sec-- tion of the upper cross head;

Figure 7 is a plan vview of the lower cross head; and

Figures 8 and 9 are sectional views of the three way valve employed.

i Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral l() designates a reu tainer barrel, so termed sinceit is employed in retaining in assembled relation various parts of the apparatus to be hereinafter described. Disposed within the retainer barrel at the upper end thereof is a pump barrelill secured to the retainer barrel and having operating withinits cylinder 12 a piston 13. The pum barrel 11, and more particularly the cyllnder thereof, communicates with a discharge pipe 14. A Secured within the lower end of the retainer barrel 10 is a 'fluid pressure motor 15 having operating therein a reciprocating piston 16 embodying a stem 17. Theparts above described may be of any desired construction, but are preferably constructed in accordance with the structure set forth in my co-pending application above identified. Disposed within the retainer barrel 10 intermediate the motor 15 and pump barrel 11 is a reduction gearing 18 for connecting the pump and power pistons 13 and 16, and a control mechanism 19 controlling the supply of Huid pressure to the motor l5. i

In the construction of the reduction gearing 18 I employ a pair of castings 20 exactly similar in construction and secured in the retainer barrel 10 in vertically spaced relation to one another. These castings 20 are in the form of a flat, thick disk of metal having formed in the upper face thereof a recess 21 slightly offset from the diametrical axis of the disk, designated by the line a-a, 'and adapted for the reception-of a shaft 22 which is retained in position within the recess by means of bearing caps 23. This shaft has secured theretoia gear 24 having ay predetermined number of teeth and is provided centrally with teeth 25 cut thereinand having a predetermined reduction relation to the teeth of the gear 24, The casing is, of course,

50 racks 34, one in passing upwardly through provided with a recess in which the gear 24 seats. Formed through the casting at dlametrically opposed points are openings 26, one of which communicates with the gear recess and exposes the teeth of the ear for engagement and the other of whic f orms a guide. The casting has another palr of openings 27 formed therein whlch are hke- Ywise diametrically opposed andsimilarly positioned, one of these openings 27 com-l municating with the recess 21 and affordmg access to the teeth 25 cut in the shaft 22 and the other of these openings 27 acting as a guide. U

In placing the castings 20 1n the retainer vbarrel 10, one casting is rotated about lts vertical axis through 180 with relation to the other casting. By lthis rotation, the opening 26 forming a guide in each of the castings is aligned withthe opening 26 of the other casting, affording `access to the teeth of the gear 24. Similarly the opening 27 forming a guide in each of `the castings is aligned with tht opening 27 affording access to the teeth 25 of the shaft 22, these openings being in each case vertically ali ed.V

o the piston rod 17 at its upper end is secured a cross head 28 guided by guides 29 secured to the walls of the retainer barrel 10. To the lower end of the piston rod 30 of the pump piston is secured a cross head 31 Which'o erates in guides 32 carried by the wall of t e retainer barrel. Depending from the lower end of the cross head 31 at opposite sides thereof are racks 33 which extend through the openings 27 of the castings 20 and extending upwardly from the cross head 28 at opposite sides thereof are racks 34 which extend through the openings 26 of the castings 20. It will be seen that one of the racks 33 will extend through the guide opening 27 of the upper casting and in the (ill lower casting in passing through its opening 27 will engage with the teeth of the shaft 22 thereof, while the-other of the racks 33 in passing through the upper casting will engage with the teeth of the shaft 22 of the upper casting and will operate in the guide opening 27 of the lower casting. Of the the lower casting 20 will pass through the guide opening 26 thereof and in passing through the upper casting will engage with the gear 24, while the other of the racks 34 will engage the gear 24 of the lower casting 20 and pass through the guide opening 26 of the upper casting. In other words', at

each of the castings the shaft is positivelyA driven by one rack 34 and positivelyT drives a rack 33 so that the drive is supported by not a single rack but by a pair of-racks.

The necessity for this construction will `be obvious when it is `considered that in many instances it is necessary in deep wells to lift the oil for a height of 3000 feet, thus creating a tremendous head pressure. It is practically impossible to transmit to the ase of a vwell of this depth a fluid pressure sufficient to operate a motor directly to overcome this head pressure. the best pumping operation it is necessary that a steady slow stroke be applied to the pump piston and it is preferred that this stroke be not too long, since the-long stroke type of pump has a tendency to leakage, increasing as the length of the barrel increases. It is further necessary to provide suitable control mechanism for the motor 15, and this I provide by forming the cross head 31 of the pump piston of two spaced elements 35 and 36, held spaced by rods 36a, these elements being spaced apart a vertical distance suiiiciently greater than the length of travel 0f the ump pistonv to permit insertion of the mechanism hereinafter described.

The numeral 37 designates a uid pressure feed pipe preferably connected with a source of compressed air, not herein shown,

and which enters thepump barrel 11 through the upper end thereof. Within the retainer barrel adjacent the upper end thereof the pipe 37 is branched to form sections 38 and 39, each of which is connected by a three way valve 40 with the pipe communi eating with one end of the cylinder of the motor 15. The three way valves 40 each comprise a `casing 41 provided at its upper end with a pair of ports 42 and 43 and at its lower end with a single port 44 by means of /which it is connected with the pipe leading to the cylinder of the motor 15. Within the casing is a valve body 45 having a pair of ports 46 and 47 therein arranged at an angle to one another. These plates are so arranged that When the port 46 connects the port 42 of the body with the port 44 thereof, communication of the port 44 with the port 43 is cut olf. Correspondingly, when the ports 44 and 43 are in communication, the port 44 is closed for communication with the 4port 42. lVith the port 43 of each of these valves a discharge pipe 48 is connected, these discharge pipes being preferably connected and having the terminus thereof arranged at a considerable distance above the pump barrel 11. The valves 40 have the valveY bodies 45 thereof arranged at right angles to one another so that when the port 46 of one of the valves is placing the ports 42 and 44 thereof in communication, the port 47 of the other of the valves is placing the ports 43 and 44 thereof in communication, one valve being exhausting as the other intakes. It will be seen thatA upon fluid pressure being admitted through the pipe 37, pressure will be admitted to one end of the c linder of the motor 15 and the other end of t e cylinder of the motor will be in communication with the exhaust and accordingly the Furthermore, for

tainer casing.

piston 16 will be caused to shift. This shiftthrou h the reduction gearing hereinbefore descri ed causes a motion of the cross head 31 and of the pump piston 13. The cross head 31 is provided with adjustable stop members 48 which co-operate with the stems 49 of the val'veslO, each stop' member embodying a pair of vertically spaced elements 50 which are adapted to alternately engage the stem with which they coact. The elements 50 are preferably made adjustable so that the length of stroke may be varied as desired, this construction being fully setforth in the co-pending application above identied.

In order to permit of. passage of the ipes from the three way valves to the cylinder of the motor 15,1 form in the casting 20 openings 51 and 52. rllhe opening 51 opens directly through the casting and will be connected with the similar opening of the other casting by a pipe or conduit 53 passing between the racks 33. The other of these openings 52 is in the form of a channel having its outlet 54 diametrically spaced from its inlet so that u on reversal of the castings 20, the outlet of t e upper casting is vertically aligned With the inlet of the lower casting, permitting connection thereof by a vertical pipe 55.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that in accordance with my invention a compact and durable reduction gearing is provided which may be enclosed within a casing of relatively small size, such as the casing of an oil well of considerable depth, and which may accordingly be employed for connecting a pump and the operating cylinder therefor located at the base of the well. It will furthermore be obvious that the construction as hereinbefore set forth is capable of many alterations and minorchanges without materially departing from the spirit of my invention and I accordingly do not limit myself to the specific structure thereof except as hereinafter claimed.

1. ln a deep well pump, a retainer casing adapted for disposal at or adjacent the bottom of the well, pump and power cylinders arranged in opposite ends of said retainer casing and maintained in fixed relation thereby, pistons within said cylinders, and rack and gear reduction gearing connecting said pistons and disposed wit in said re- 2. In a deep well pump, a retainer casing adapted v,for disposal at or adjacent the bottom of the well, pump and power cylinders arranged in opposite ends of said 'retainer casing and maintained in fixed relation there y, pistons'within said, cylinders, rack and gear reduction gearing connecting said pistons and disposed within said retainer casing, said reduction gearing including a casting, a shaft rotatably lmounted in said L casting, a pinion and a gear carried by said arranged in opposite ends of said retainer Casin and maintained in fixed relation there y, pistons Within said cylinders, rack and gear reduction gearing connecting said pistons and disposed within said retainer casing,` said reduction gearing including a casting, a shaft rotatably mounted in said casting, a pinion and a gear carried by said shaft, a rack carried by the power piston and engaging the gear, and a rack carried by the pump piston and engaging the pinion, said casting having openings formed therein forming guides for said racks.

4.1m a deep Well pump, a retainer casing adapted for disposal at or adjacent the bottom of the well, pump and power cylinders arranged in opposite ends of said retainer casing and maintained in fixed relation there pistons within said cylinders, rack and gear reduction gearing connecting said pistons ,and disposed within said retainer casing, including a pair of spaced similar castings arranged Within the retainer casing and in reversed relation to one another, each casting being provided with a 'shaft bearing paralleling but offset from its diametrical axis, shafts rotatably mounted in said bearings and each provided with a pinion and a gear, a pair of racks connected with each of said pistons, one rack of each of said pairs extending through the guide opening of the casting next adjacent the piston to which it is attached and ,operatively engaging the shaft throu h the gear or pinion thereof at the other o? the castings, the other rack of each air operatively engaging the shaft of the st named casting and extending through a guide opening formed in the second named casting.

5. In a deep well pump, a retainer casing adapted for disposal at or adjacent the bottom of the Well, pump and power cylinders arranged in opposite ends of said retainer casin and maintained in fixed relation there y, pistons within said cylinders, rack and gear reduction gearing connecting saidv pistons and disposed within said retainer casing, including a pair of spaced similar castings arranged within the retainer casing roo and in reversed relation to one another, each ings and each provided vwith a pinion and f a gear, a pair of racks connectedwith each of said pistons, one rack of each ofsa-id pairs extending through the guide opening of the lao casting next adjacent the piston to Whichit ond named casting, a source of Huid presis attached and operatively engaging the sure for said motor, and conduits formed in shaft through the gear or pinion thereof at said casting permitting passage of the fluid l0 the other of the castings, the other rack of pressure to the motor.

e each air operatively engaging the sheftoi1 In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my the rst named casting and extending slgnature.

through a guide opening formed in the .sec- WILBUR N. SQUIRES. 

